Author Archives

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A Message to My Followers

Will the words fail me? Will the joy fade away? Or will I once again find a path forward?

Despite today being the anniversary of one of the happiest days of my mother’s heart, I awoke with a dread similar to one I have had before. Only this time the dread was deeper and more weighty. It is one thing for the hopeful to follow the path to sorrow when the path is shrouded and obscured. Yet, when the light shines brightly on the path, illuminating the danger signs in glaring clarity, it is a dreaded thing to witness.

I seek joy through creative pursuits, and I seek to share that joy with others. It is my hope that in some small way I can inspire others to seek their own joy.

In my efforts, whether through blog or vlog, I try my best to focus on the universal language of joy. Today, in the light of so much chaos, I finally feel the unshakable need to be clear about something I believe many (or at least those closely following) will have discerned. I use the word joy with great understanding that it is a word intertwined Christ.

I use it as a synonym for Christ, and for love, and for grace.

I view it as an eternal condition – this joy of which I speak, and I see it as being a common language.

I believe it is a condition and a language that supersedes the religions of man. For all of mankind can experience it, and seek it, and receive it regardless of the customs they follow.

I use JOY for this very reason – it bridges the gaps of culture. For while I connect it to Christ, others need not do so if that is their choice. It doesn’t change the eternal and universal nature of it.

Sorrow has gripped me, has made my heart weep, but I will cling to my quest for joy – and in doing so, I will hopefully be able to continue to have something to blog and vlog about.

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A November 2024 Thought

Pilate gave the people the opportunity to set Jesus free – the prophesized savior, a man who taught love.

Yet when given the choice, they instead chose a traitor, one imprisoned for sedition and murder. They chose to condemn unto death the very hope they had been taught to seek, and instead they chose another. (Luke 23)

History shows us, time-and-time again, that people will choose unwisely. Choosing a path of love, charity, and kindness takes work. It also can require us to do what the wealthy young man could not do – follow Christ. (Mathew 19:21-22).

When faced with a choice, people will more often than not choose a snake-oil cure rather than a path to real health.

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What’s in a Word – The Patchwork Quilt

The word quilt can mean simply a blanket. However for some, the word is intertwined with memories of a cherished grandmother who provided warmth and a hug through a patchwork creation of love.

The language of quilting, is both simple and complex. It is a craft developed around a utilitarian skill, but unlike its fiber cousins, weaving and knitting, quilting can mean the entire process as well as the specific skill of sewing together the quilt sandwich.

The word quilting describes the task of sewing together two or more layers of fabric, with the modern quilt usually having two layers of fabric sandwiching a middle layer of fiber called batting or wadding. However, historically, the process often was used to bind together many layers of fabric in order to create a dense fabric structure used for armor.

The term quilting has also become synonymous with the process of making a quilt. Piecing the patches of a patchwork quilt is less often used. It is easier to say, “I am quilting,” and have yourself understood than it is to say, “I am piecing,” or “I am doing patchwork”. Plus, not all quilts are pieced or constitute patchwork. Whole cloth quilts and comforters are examples of quilted items that would not require piecing and would not be called patchwork. Plus there is also a category of quilts that are tied or tufted. These are still considered quilts by many (especially when they are patchwork in nature), but these have no quilting stitches.

So what is in a word – the word quilting? Is is just another English word that causes many to shake their head over the confusion of the English language? Or is it a word that is fluid, adaptable, and timeless? It can mean many things – different things to different people, and also many things to one.

In my dictionary it has many definitions. Including the following one.

Quilting is the process of making a hug.

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This week’s video shares a few more of the quilted items under construction in my home at the moment, as well as a couple finished quilts. I also have another patchwork block to share.

Ayla’s Christmas BlockDownload

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Just for Fun

Trying a new pattern just for the fun of it. Windmill was inspired by a block in Barbara Brackman’s book Facts & Fabrications: Unraveling the History of Quilts & Slavery. I was drawn to the windmill image the block created. I added two center applique circles to emphasize the imagery.

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Download the Pattern for this block here.
windmillDownload

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Or simply make your own template following this diagram.

Small or large, this is an easy template to make. Just start with a square.

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Four More Blocks

It’s been eight months since I posted the first of thirty blocks designed for an English Paper Piecing sampler quilt. Today I share the final four blocks in the set. I will begin assembling them into a quilt top, possibly resembling this rendering, in the next few weeks. Then the hand quilting will begin.

The blocks I am sharing this week are called:

Glimmering Star, Double Tulip, Rising Sun, and Prudence Penny’s Compass.

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27-glimmering-starDownload

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28-double-tulipDownload

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29-rising-sunDownload

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30-prudence-pennys-compassDownload

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I share these blocks and more in this week’s video.

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What’s in a Name

💜There are times when we can feel a bit unwound, much like a messy pile of yarn, but sometimes we have to embrace the chaos before we can find the calm💜

As I approach the 4th anniversary of my YouTube vlog, I have been pondering how much has changed since posting the first of my videos. What started out as a simple way to share the spinning journey of Tour de Fleece during a socially isolated time has evolved. My early videos were short, spinning content with background music for greater enjoyment. The camera only caught my profile, and I never spoke. Gradually the content changed, and I gained the confidence to speak directly to my audience.

Much like this blog, my vlogs have been a way for me to share my thoughts, as well as the things that bring me joy. Short content has been replaced by longer videos, and the podcast format seems a better fit than making how-to content. My following, while small, has been loyal and has grown steadily, albeit very slowly.

Whether short or long, my videos seem to fall under the umbrella of Unwinding with Fiber and Fabric, the name of my podcast. I feel it is the right time to change the name of my channel to better reflect the content. The name is still a mouthful, but one that will hopefully be easier to find, or share.

This blog will not change, nor will my Facebook and Instagram accounts, although those accounts might change in the future. For now, I will remain Pioneerlady at Pithyponderings (pioneerlady_at_pithyponderings), because a name is more than just a title or description of what we do. A name is part of who we are.

@UnwindingwithFiberandFabric

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The Joy of Completion

No matter the reason you put off working on it, no matter how displeased it made you feel at times, a finished project will stir your heart when it is completed, if for no other reason than it is done.

A productive week! Three quilts finished, as well as finally finishing the silk I’ve been spinning on-and-off for months. I share these completed projects in this week’s vlog. I also have another English Paper Piecing block to share. It is called the Gemstone Star and can be downloaded below.

26-gemstone-starDownload

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Plus I created a couple short reels this week when I ventured out of the crafting room 💜.

You can check them out on Instagram or Facebook

@pioneerlady_at_pithyponderings

https://www.facebook.com/PioneerladyatPithyponderings

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Uncharted Paths

A charted path can help us get to where we want to go, and it can provide us a sense of control in a chaotic world. Yet, there is something to be said for occasionally leaving the charted path and bravely taking an unplanned journey into the unknown.

With the completion of my dedicated sewing-crafting room (notwithstanding the need of a fresh coat of wall and ceiling paint), I find myself recognizing a shift has occurred. While I don’t believe the sewing room is the catalyst of this change, I do think it symbolizes the change that has occurred within me.

It is as I begin to really use this dedicated space, a space that brings me joy and comfort, I realize more fully that I have changed.

Change doesn’t usually happen overnight, but sometimes the awakening to the change does feel abrupt. We go to bed one night only to wake up the next morning to realize the journey we’ve been on has led us to our destination. What then, we ask ourselves? Do we meticulously map our a new destination, or do we allow ourselves the freedom of following an uncharted path, even if only for a short while?

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This Week’s English Paper Piecing Block – The Triple Star
25-triple-starDownload

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Keeping Our Mojo while Pursuing Success

In a world were the pressure for perfection is ever present, the quest for success can overwhelm us, thus causing our creative mojo to get lost somewhere along the journey. This is often the case when we are creating to meet the demand of others, but it can also be the case when we are creating for ourselves. The scale we use to measure success, sadly, is seldom one we create ourselves, thereby placing us at the risk of becoming overwhelmed when our efforts fall short of an unrealistic norm.

As creators, or makers to use another term commonly used in social media, we rely on our creative mojo to keep our inspiration flowing and our ideas vibrant. Our ability to keep creating often relies heavily on our feelings of accomplishment, and therefore how we determine success is instrumental in our ability to create.

In my video today, I ponder the notion of success and the question of whether my latest project is a success. I determine success is achieved when three criteria are met – functionality, structural-soundness, and joy. We are makers not machines. Variables in our creative efforts are part of what makes our product unique and desirable. When we hold onto this knowledge, we can better keep hold of our mojo even as we pursue success.

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This week I have three English Paper Piecing blocks to share.
22-grandmas-broochDownload
23-grandmas-spring-broochDownload
24-flower-basketDownload

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Simple Joys

Simply joyful projects do more than just keep the hands busy, they cleanse and refuel the mind.

This week I have two simple flowers to share. They can either become decorative mini pillow ornaments, or they can be applied to a fabric square for use in a bigger project.

00-simple-flowersDownload